In-class Blog

5. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study which provides an effective introduction of an important character or characters. How would you use staging, design and acting to ensure that this introduction would have dramatic importance for the audience?

To show a strong beginning of the story, I will choose to have Désirée starting from her early age when her real mother abandons her under the mango tree since the flashback in the middle is confusing for the audience to understand what is really going on. As a result, I will have her flashback about the drought and about not having water, then her mother tries to throw her away, in which it explains clearly why she is related to the gods. And also, it gives specific and reasonable details about how and who is Tonton Julian and Mama Euralie. To stage this, I will give a brief introduction, someone over talk to the audiences about the severe weather and severe situation. Maybe, the gods will stand on the side, watching at the peasants moving to find food. And the peasants will stay in the center, walking difficulty to find water. Maybe the light will focus on them to show the severe situation. Also, people can bend their backs to show their starvation. This will further emphasize the powerful of the gods. Then, the tree can appear; the real mom can put Desiree under the tree, shaking her heads, and walking away. And that's when Agwe is mad. He floods the village with his power. And to show this, I will use the sounds of water washing through the village, and people dying from it to show the connection.

8. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study which deals with a fantasy or dream

sequence of consequence to the narrative. How can acting and design elements be used to stage such a fantasy or dream sequence for an audience?

The dream that I am going to choose is when Desiree finds her has a knife in her hands, believing the talking to the gods are just dream. This part actually emphasizes the belief in Desiree; herself also believes that's a dream among the gods, so I actually think it might be a dream in her as well.  And to show the separation from the reality and dream, I will make the stage dimmer and with certain blue lights on to show it; blue lights often emphasizes the unrealistic dream for the protagonist.  Also, it can have fog to show the dream-like experience for Desiree. Also, she can lay on her bed and kind of answer the question in the unawakened form by closing her eyes, laying on the beds, and sleeping. This then can tell to the audience where she is, and further emphasizing the powerful of the gods. However, the gods can come out to the front, confronting with her and her decision. 

9. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study which presents a clash of two cultures.By paying due attention to the context of the passage, outline how you would dramatize the clash in order to bring out the differences between the two cultures for an audience.

I will choose when Daniel's father gets out from the helicopter because that's the part where the two cultures clash into each other. Daniel is accidentally dropped into the village in his car, and Desiree sees him, falling in love with Daniel, thinking he is the one she needs. However, because of the damage, Daniel is ill and he cannot go anywhere. As a result, Tonton Julian tries to find the rich to take the son away. The rich is trying to find his son, so he has to come to this island, but he is disgusted to by the views of the poor: the way they live and the house they live in. He is not knowing what's like in the village. Stage: Daniel's father comes from the helicopter, stepping out. the place is muddy and is in a small hut. The hut is in brown color to represent the poor. Sounds of helicopter can be presented as well. The costume can be varied. Grabiel: in white color suit, walking in a disdain movement, showing the disgusting on his face. Maybe his suit can have some decorations to represent the high classes. For the poor, their cloth can be colorful, each family wears one color to distinguish different family: but others can wear some darker color cloth to show Desiree's speciality. Desiree's family can wear red, but they can wear darker and dustier; Desiree have a bright red color dress(passion). Peasants can follow Daniel's father to show the respectful and surprise mood for the coming of Daniel's father. They can bend their heads and backs to show the respectful.